25 Days Til Christmas
by Skatzaa
Summary: So I was thinking, what's better than Christmas? Christmas with our favorite band of motley mutants, of course! Join the Flock for the month leading up to Christmas! Updated daily. Day 14: Icicles
1. Day 1

**Hey y'all. The title's pretty self-explanatory… Enjoy!;)**

Prompt: #1- Secret Santa [What happens when Max gets Fang for the Flock's Secret Santa? FAX of course ;)]  
Characters: Max & Fang  
Words: 570+

"_MA-AX!"_ Max winced at Nudge's shrill voice. What did she want now?

Sighing, she got up and wandered down the hall. Christmas had been good that year. The Flock gave her a membership to the gym down the road from Dr. M's house. Her mom gave her a cookbook for desserts (much to Max and Iggy's horror) and Ella forced a dress on her.

But still, a good Christmas.

"What do you want Nudge?" The girl in question was seated cross-legged on the couch, her wings loose against her back. The rest of the Flock was sprawled around the living room in various states of relaxation. There was a pile of presents in the middle of the group- seven, if she counted correctly.

"You don't remember, Max?" She almost jumped. Not realizing Ella was in there. Or her mom.

"Um… no?"

Ella face palmed and Nudge wailed. "Max! It's Secret Santa!"

What was that again? Um… Oh yeah! When you get a present for someone who didn't know who it was from… God that sounded complicated. No wonder she forgot.

Fang chuckled at Max's scrunched up nose- a sure sign of confusion and concentration from her. She only flapped a hand at him.

"Soo… who did I have?"

"_MAX!"_ Everyone, but Fang of course, yelled. Oh… Fang….

"Nevermind. Don't worry y'all! I got it." She winked at Gazzy, which sent him and Angel into hysterics.

"Never… do that… again… Max…" Angel gasped. Max huffed.

"Okay!" Nudge clapped her hands. "Let's do this!"

Max was stuck distributing the boxes and bags. Fang raised an eyebrow when he didn't get one.

"I guess we all know who had me…" The Flock laughed, but Max could see the sadness in Fang's eyes. _Shoot. Why couldn't I remember this one thing?_

Dr. M had gotten a Visa card, Nudge got a professional makeup kit that had her screaming out of happiness for ten minutes. Iggy had a package with a pink shirt in it. He laughed when he felt it. Angel opened a box that held a Build-A-Bear bear, dressed like an angel. She grinned and hugged Iggy. Gazzy's present was a chemistry set.

"Awesome! It's the one I wanted too! _Double_ awesome!" They all knew who it was (cough- Angel- cough). Ella got a friendship necklace set, two smiley faces. Gazzy blushed as she squealed over it. With a wink from Nudge, who had decided to shut her mouth, Ella put one on Gazzy (who Max was sure was glad he had gotten a gender neutral one).

Max opened her gift, it was another dress. "Ella…" But her heart wasn't in it. She was watching Fang. He just stared at his feet the entire time. So Max made a split second decision, one she hoped wouldn't bite her hard in the butt later.

"Fang?" He glanced up then back down, but she saw how made he was. Max tugged at him 'til he was standing, then hugged him. "Merry Christmas."

And with that, she kissed him.

In the background, Nudge cheered and Iggy wolf whistled and Gazzy cat called. But Max heard none of it. All she knew was _Fang._

When Max pulled back, she was breathless and smiling. She slowly glanced up at Fang to see his reaction.

He was staring down at her. She bit her lip, worried, until he grinned.

"That," He punctuated it with a pick on the lips, "was the best Christmas present ever."

**Soo, whadaya think?**

**R&R!**

**Read On,**

**Skats**


	2. Day 2

**Thanks for all of the reviews:3 They mean a lot!**

Prompt: #2- Vacation [Max and Ella go ice skating, for the first time ever, on vacation, and they just so happen to meet some very cute Northerners]  
Characters: Max & Fang  
Words: 1,344

We are going… to… New Hampshire! Now, for most of you that might sound incredibly lame. But for Ella and I?

It's freaking awesome!

You see, we've lived in Arizona our whole lives, and we've never seen _snow_. So when Mom offered us a chance to spend Christmas break up in good ole New England? I jump at it.

Ella? Not so much. Meh. She's just sad 'cause she won't see her boyfriend for two weeks. Looking out of the airplane's window, I bare my teeth slightly as I think back to when I found out they were dating.

"_Max?" I can hear the sound of the front door closing from my place in the kitchen, where I'm currently stuffing my face with delicious food._

_I swallow. "Yeah Ells?"_

"_Um…"_

_My best friend Iggy speaks up. Huh, didn't know he was here too… "Oh, Max darling! Ella and I have wonderful news!"_

_The sound of skin hitting skin reaches me; Ella slapped him._

"_What?"_

"_I asked her out and she said yes!" The two come into the kitchen just in time for me to see her smacking him in the face._

_Wait…_

"WHAT?!"_ I scream. My best friend, dating my sister? My sister who is _two years younger?

"_Iggy, you better run"! He takes off with me chasing him like a bat out of Hell._

"Welcome to Manchester Regional Airport, we hope you've enjoyed the flight and have a great holiday season."

Ella grumbles about how she's _thousands of miles away from her lover _(They _better_ not be lovers), and _how unfair it is,_ and how _I wouldn't understand._

True enough, I admit as I brush past her to get to the luggage thingy (yes, that is the official term). I'm Maximum Ride, I don't need a guy. Especially at eighteen, when I'm so close to getting out of there.

!~_

Stepping out of the rented car, Ella and I gasp. The hour plus drive through all the nothingness has been _totally_ worth it. The frozen lake in front of us is some unpronounceable name, but absolutely gorgeous.

I've never seen so many trees before, and they're all covered in fluffy white stuff. Sharing a look with my sister, we grin at the same time.

"Snow!" We launch ourselves at it and forget our ages as we take part in our first snowball fight.

!~_

"Lake… Winny-pee-sah-uh-kee?"

"You two aren't from around here, are you?"

Without looking up, I snap back. "What gave it away? The tans? The accent? The way we gawk at the snow and the trees and the ice and-"

"No." I glance up, slightly irritated that this local cut me off. Doesn't he know that tourism is practically keeping his state afloat? He's tall, dark, and lethal looking with the contraptions on his feet. The blonde boy next to him speaks up.

"What Fangy boy here was going to say is the fact that you're eyeing the skates like they're killed somebody and you inadequate, pathetic excuse for a winter jacket." He pauses and pretends to stroke a beard. "Of course, he would've said it with fewer words. Oh, and it's pronounced Win-nih-peh-saw-key."

I lean over to Ella. "Who knew Yankees could use words like inadequate?" She laughs.

'Fangy boy' raises an eyebrow. "Seriously? Yankee? You know, it's not the Civil War anymore."

The blonde boy gapes. "Whoa… you got _Fang…_ to _talk!"_ He kneels and pretends to worship. "All hail the Mighty… what's your name?"

Ella giggles again. "Max. And Giggly over there is Ella."

"Hi, I'm Gazzy. Don't ask." We shake hands, and when he turns to Ella they both blush.

"Ohhh," I sigh. "Too bad _Iggy_ can't be here, right Ells?" She stiffens slightly and I lean down to be right next to her ear. "You hurt him, I break you."

"Aren't you supposed to say that to him?"

I shrug while moving to stand upright. "One- you can take care of yourself. Two- he's my best friend. Three- I've already had this talk with him." We laugh, then I turn to the two young men looking on curiously. "So, who wants to teach me how to ski?"

Gazzy guffaws. "It's skating, Max."

"Same thing."

!~_

Naturally, I get stuck with Fang, Mr. Silent Rock.

But… he _is_ a pretty good teacher.

"Okay, so remember? Push, glide, push, glide. Turn your feet to steer and if you need to stop… um, just tell me." I nod shakily. "Good. I'm taking the chair now…"

"No!" I panic and clutch the lifeline. At first, I was reluctant to use it (What? There are _toddlers_using them too! I felt like a child!), but it's saved my ass. A lot.

Just then, a little girl skates up, stopping perfectly right in front of us. She was cute, with her blonde hair and blue eyes. The all pink attire is slightly annoying, but reminds me of my friend Nudge.

"Hi Fang! I think Max can manage without that chair now. You should take it. Bye!" She skates off again, leaving me to pick my jaw up off the ground.

"How... my name, wha-?"

Fang chuckles slightly. "That's Angel, Gazzy's little sister. Only ten, crazy kid. Sometimes we swear she can read minds, but you get used to it." That peaks my interest.

"How old are you two?"

"I'm eighteen, Gaz is seventeen." He raises an eyebrow and cocks his head.

"Same as you. Ella's sixteen though." I look around, only to see that we're skating. Without the chair! "How did you-"

He shrugs. "All you needed was a distraction."

He's so _tan_ for a Northerner. Who, awkward thought… Naturally, I decide to ask about it. "Your skin's pretty dark for living up here. Most girls in Arizona would kill to have a wicked tan like that." Should I be giving out my home state to a complete stranger? No. Am I worried? Not particularly. I feel… safe around him.

Fang's lips twitch into what I think is supposed to be a smile. Or a smirk maybe.

"Wicked? For a Southerner, you sure do talk like us/ Anyways, I work on a farm."

A respectable job. I nod my head. Suddenly, Fang spins around so that he's skating backwards in front of me.

"What about you?"

"What do you mean?" I scrunch my nose in confusion.

"I know you're Max from Arizona, but that's it." Oh. Right as I'm opening my mouth to respond, I hit a bump in the lake's surface and go flying.

Right into Fang.

And our mouths… might… sort of… accidentally… touch.

There's a sharp pain in my shin but I ignore it and continue with our… lip touching.

Recap? I'm kissing Fang, from New Hampshire, who works on a farm, has a killer tan, and doesn't like to talk.

I don't even know this guy, and I don't really care either.

Then he lifts his head up and looks past me. "Oh shit Max!" I realize I'm lying on top of him, but don't move.

"What? Lemme guess, you saw your girlfriend. Or, you're really popular at school and a group of friends just skated by and saw you kissing the loser nobody from down South. Or-or" I can feel tears build up, and I hate myself for it, "I get it. It wasn't good enough."

I move to stand.

I'm sorry, Your Majesty. Next time I have my first kiss, I'll make sure it's better." The sarcasm is dangerously high as I pretend to bow.

But then my leg gives out, and I collapse next to an amused looking Fang.

"Actually, I was going to say that my skate cut your leg." Oh. Blushing, I look down and see that he's right. A tiny trickle of blood, nothing to be worried about, is visible on my calf. "So… that was your first kiss?" I nod. "Well, let's say it was a practice run."

And that's when he leans in and kisses me again. I smile against his lips.

I am _so_ going to college out here.

**What'd ya think? I liked this one a lottt more than my last one. I might make tomorrow's tie into today's. Think it's a good idea?**

**R&R ;)**

**Read On,**

**Skats**


	3. Day 3

**Hey e'erybody! So, this is a continuation (sort of, you'll see) of the last one. I really like it, and spent all day in school working on it :)**

Prompt: Tradition [What will happen when Max returns to the lake?]  
Characters: Max & Fang  
Words: 1,500+

!~_

Traditions.

We all have them, especially around Christmas time. Some people go to a certain restaurant or visit Grandma's. Others host holiday parties where they do gift swaps and Secret Santa.

Me? I go ice skating on Lake Winnipesaukee. Every year since my senior year of high school, I've strapped on the skates (which I am now a master of) and make my way around the lake. Seven years later, at twenty-five, most of the ice fishermen know me, so I usually have a bob house or two that I can stop at.

My favorite time to skate is at night, when it's so dark it seems like I can see all of the stars. Gazzy usually tries to make me use a flashlight. I bring it with me to make him feel better, but rarely use it.

The fishermen call me the Ice Widow. They love going home and telling their children about the spirit that haunts the lake. They say she's lost the love of her life, and is destined to wander the ice of New Hampshire's lakes, searching and calling out for her lover.

I swear, I only indulged them once. I'm pretty sure I scared and scarred some kids for life, and will never live it down.

The one thing about my little 'tradition'- it happens alone. I've never brought anyone with me besides Nudge, Ella, and Iggy (who got engaged up here last year).

Not Sam, who I didn't run out on until the words 'I do' were on the tip of my tongue. Not Michael, who I met in college. We had an apartment together for all of five weeks. Not Ari, my little brother.

Not even Dylan, who I'm currently engaged to. As I park by the docks, I'm worried. He wants to move in together, I don't. He doesn't get it. None of them do, not really.

The all say that Dylan is my perfect half, that we're meant to be. But every time I think of perfect, I see a pair of dark eyes that I haven't seen in seven years, but think of almost every day.

"Max!" I'm startled as Angel tackles me. When did I get out of the car?

"Hey Ange!" We hug, and I take in her appearance. I live in the next state over, Maine, but I haven't seen her in probably six months.

She's so different from the ten-year-old I met so long ago. But she still has the pink laces in her skates. I shake my head and she laughs.

"Come on, Ice Widow," She winks and steps out onto the ice. Sighing, I tighten my skates and follow her.

We fool around for a while, making our way to the center of the lake while comparing ridiculous tricks.

"Hey Maxie Poo!" I look up from giving Angel a headlock after she insulted my twirl, only to see Gazzy.

"Hey Gasman."

He grins. "Leave my sister alone, she's only a kid!" We laugh as Angel huffs, glares, and puts her hands on her hips. She might be scary, if the effect wasn't ruined by the fact that she's still in the headlock.

"So what brings you all the way out here, to the middle of the lake? I thought you were busy." It's true, Gazzy is supposed to be fishing with some buddy or something.

"Well, Tiff's getting skating lessons from the best, so I need to find her anyway. But you seem to have lost something…"

That's when I notice the struggling blonde behind him. It's someone who's never even looked at ice before, slowly inching his way towards us while clutching a chair. _The_ chair, the one that I learned on. Why the hell do they still have that thing?

"Dylan?" He smiles.

"Hi babe." He's finally reached us, and moves for a hug. I hit his arms away. "What?"

"I told you… not to come. But you did." He crinkles his forehead, confused.

"I thought I'd surprise you-"

"Well you thought wrong!" I scream. Angel looks frightened. "I can't believe you! This is the one thing that's sacred to me! _ME!_ Not _us_ Dylan! The only thing I ever told you no to!"

His face hardens. "Oh really? What about how I had to bug you for weeks before you would go on a date with me? What about the first two times you rejected my proposal? Or what about how you _still_ won't move in with me?"

"You pig!" I push him off his feet onto the ice. I'm angry, so angry that I'm shaking like a first time skater. I'm lucky I'm not on the ground next to me fiancé. "Way to just _air the freaking laundry!"_

Dylan's glare deepens, but he doesn't scare me.

"You think I don't know what the problem is? You're in love with another man!"

My nose scrunches. "What?"

Dylan softens. "The sad thing is, you don't even know it." He stands easily and takes my left hand. "You don't see it, but I do." He slips the ring from my finger and kisses the lone tear from my cheek. "Goodbye Ice Widow."

As he skates away, all I can think is, _does everyone know about that?_

"So, Tiff?" I jump, turn, and blush as I realize that Angel and Gazzy are still here.

"Yeah?" Angel seems distracted despite her brother's question.

"You want to help me find her?"

I soften at the thought.

After our first trip up, I applied to all of the colleges in New England. When I visited, my friend Nudge came along. She met Gazzy and they hit it off. The three of us went to Bowdoin, in Maine (we were all the same year, their birthdays were just both in June).

I wasn't surprised to hear they were dating within the first week. I was, however, shocked when I found out they were engaged. Gazzy had somehow managed to propose when we were at the lake without me noticing. They got married at the end of July and Nudge found out soon after that she was pregnant. At that point, I had almost died of all the surprises.

Nine months and a few days later, Tiffany-Krystal Ignitous (Gazzy had a say in her middle name, and he and Iggy had become close) Marks was born to her ecstatic parents.

Needless to say, we soon shortened her name to Tiff.

"Where is she?" I love my five and a half year old god daughter, despite the many sleepless nights before exams in college when we all shared an apartment. Nudge was never affected by being a wife, a mom, and a student at the same time. Gazzy and I? We could barely handle babysitting for more than a few hours.

"Well…"

"Gazzy," Angel warns.

"What? I told you, she's having skating lessons with the best! I figured she'd be okay with him."

I feel a pang in my chest. My first vacation here, we spent all week with Angel, Gazzy, and… _Fang_, who had always bragged about being the best teacher in New England.

"Let's split up." They agree and we all take a direction then head out. I chew my lip as I try to figure out where she could be. A little girl soon appears in front of me.

"Aunty Max!"

"Tiff!" She laughs as I pick her up and skate around in circles.

"Tiff! Where are you? Tiffany-Krystal Ignitous Marks so help me God-"

"Here Uncle!" She giggles. Tiff squirms to get gown, but I'm frozen in the past. To be exact, two weeks spent on this lake, seven years ago. A man skates up. A man with black hair and black eyes and a wicked tan.

"Fang?"

"Max?"

I set Tiff on the ground and slowly move towards Fang. I've been coming to this place for a few weeks at a time every six months, for nearly a decade, yet I haven't seen him in years.

Staring up at him, I can't believe my eyes. He smiles brightly- so unlike before- as I check his hand. No ring.

"What are you doing here?" He sounds so excited, but I'm beginning to see red.

"I live here."

"What! Since when?" He's still smiling like an idiot. How fitting.

"Since I decided I love it around here and went to Bowdoin with my best friend and _Gazzy._ You know-" I add to cut off whatever he's opened his stupid mouth for, "-if you hadn't refused to contact me, or hadn't turned it into some sort of twisted winter fling, you would have known seven years ago."

He grimaces, and we stand in a bitter silence, watching Tiff show off.

"So… are you seeing anyone?"

"No…" I glance down at my finger, with its pale strip of previously covered skin. "_Very_ recently single."

"Good." Fang grins once more, then swoops in and kisses me. It's just like seven years ago, only so much better.

I pull back and smile shyly at him. Fang leans his forehead against mine. His mouth definitely isn't stupid now. I sigh.

"God I love New Hampshire."

And, if I'm correct, added to Dylan's accusations, that's not the only thing I love.

**So, ya like it? Sorry it's so late, I had practice. One word: OW.**

**Coach had me doing triple drills (what I like to call them- my main event is Triple Jump), which would have been fine if my knees hadn't gone berserk. THEN, he called over this Senior, who is my track IDOL, and had me jump.**

**IN FRONT OF HIM! I almost died of embarrassment, until he said I was doing a good job. Then I almost died of happiness. X3**

**Sorry for rambling!**

**R&R!**

**Read On,**

**Skats**


	4. Day 4

Prompt: #4- Eggnog  
Characters: Nudge & Iggy  
Words: 640+

!~_

Iggy sighed in despair. He was in the kitchen, cooking Christmas Eve dinner for the Flock. But how could he cook anything without his favorite drink to get him in the Christmas spirit?

"Max? Fang?" He stood idly by the counter, waiting for one of the two to come in. Instead, he heard the light, delicate footsteps he instantly identified as Nudge. "Hey Nudge, where're the love birds?

She laughed at his pun. "Off somewhere, doing something." They fell quiet, and Iggy basked in the silence. Most people assumed that as the blind guy, he always needed sounds to be able to get anywhere or do even the simplest of tasks. They were wrong.

Iggy loved pure silence, when the only thing he could hear was his breathing. It made him feel better about his lost sense, when everything was as blank as his sight.

"So, how am I going to get to the store?" He hated to break it, but he needed to talk to get what he needed.

"Um… Why?"

"I need to get something for dinner." A soft tapping sound followed. He could imagine her knocking her finger against her tooth, a habit she had when she was thinking.

"I thought you had everything from the last trip. What do you need?"

"Eggnog!"

"What? We must go, the eggnog needs us!" He laughed at her fake enthusiasm and follows her to the car. _Good thing we all learned how to drive early._

!~_

"Um… what type do you want? Whole? Skim? Gingerbread flavored? Whoa, I didn't even know that they made that type of eggnog! I thought it was just like, you know, eggnog. Huh. What possible reason could you need _cranberry_ flavored eggnog? Jeez, that's just weird. Gosh, now every time I say eggnog it sounds weird-"

"Nudge."

"-you know, like when you type weird words for too long, or when you stare at the computer screen for too long?"

"Nudge," He stated dryly, but still amused.

"And then-"

"NUDGE!" She finally shut up. "Thank you. And I just want regular, thanks." She grabbed it, or so he assumed from the sound of a larger item being dropped in her basket. They wandered through the store to the front. In the checkout line, Iggy stood awkwardly until Nudge huffed.

"Back off chick. First off, he's not available. Second, he's blind, so he can't see your ridiculous eye twitches or the raccoon makeup. Is that supposed to impress anyone, let alone a _guy?_" The cashier shrieked indignantly, and it only got worse when Iggy accidentally laughed out loud. The sound of Nudge turning towards him made him focus in on her. "So, what did you need the eggnog for?"

"I can't really cook well when I'm not in the right mood, duh." They laughed and joked as they made their way to the car once more. Iggy couldn't help but wish he could see her.

"Hey so do you think Ma- AAHH!" Relying on instincts, Iggy shot his hand out in her approximate location and grabbed Nudge before she fell.

"Ice?" Silence, besides a few rustles.

"I'm nodding Iggy." He chuckled lightly and took a risk. Weaving their hands together, he reveled in how soft her skin was. Nudge tensed slightly beside him and he almost sighed, wondering if it was the wrong thing to do.

"Iggy?"

"Yeah?"

"What are you doing?" He smiles.

"Holding your hand so you don't fall. Duh." Nudge giggled, especially due to his continued use of the phrase 'duh'.

"Oh, okay." Iggy swung their hands back and forth like a child would, making Nudge laugh so hard she could barely breath.

"Igs!" He stopped, but she didn't. So in his mind? There was only one way to fix that.

He swooped in and kissed her, right smack on the mouth.

And for once, the Nudge Channel was quiet.

Finally.

**R&R?**

**Read On,**

**Skats**


	5. Day 5

**Hey guys, review maybe? ;P I'm feelin a little neglected over here…**

**Warning: Slight OOCness is to follow. Deal with it:P**

Prompt: Scrooge [Two familiar strangers run into each other on the subway and some interesting occurrences follow]  
Characters: Max & Fang  
Words: 1,600+

!~_

They were completely different. If the universe had its way, they would have never met that day. They would have continued living their lives uninterrupted, though it wouldn't have been for the better.

He was a power hungry CEO, willing and not afraid to take down anyone in his path. He had worked his way up the food chain, from dishwasher to the founder of one of the most successful companies in the world.

She was homeless. She worked three jobs, yet was unable to take care of herself and her daughter, who lived with the woman's mother. She hadn't lived in a house in four years, but it didn't affect her. She never stayed in the same place for more than a week, and never frequented the same place twice.

He had been the world's hottest man for six years running, and the most eligible bachelor for the past eight. The women wanted him and the men wanted to be him. He never wore anything but suits unless in the safety of his penthouse suite. He never associated with a lower class unless absolutely necessary, and avoided homeless people like the plague.

She preferred tight jeans for immobility and a leather jacket for protection and heat. Loose t-shirts or tank tops, along with her naturally ripped jeans, kept her cool in the summer, as well as kept her presentable. Few knew her face and even fewer knew her name. Nearly no one was close enough to her for her to trust them, but those who she did deem worthy were special. They had her full trust and she would give her life for them, no matter who they were.

He obsessed over his money, had saved it up since his lowly days as a dog walker. He rarely spent money, and when he did, he spent it frugally.

What she didn't send to her daughter she gave away, to those who needed it more than her. She knew she could survive without it, but they couldn't.

The two were polar opposites. They could have never been together, it wouldn't have ever worked. They were too different, too abrasive. They should have never met.

And yet they did.

!~_

"Move, move, _move!_" The woman shoved her way through the crowd, disregarding the nasty looks from the other pedestrians. She hurried towards the subway entrance.

"You know what, Dylan? Back off. We both know I'm richer, smarter, ad more powerful than you- so just-" the man strode confidently down the sidewalk. He didn't have to weave, the crowd parted for him. He continued to insult his colleague as he made his way to the subway. He was late for a make-or-break meeting that would increase his profits- and wealth- exponentially.

All she wanted was to see her baby girl for Christmas.

Neither of them saw the other as they boarded the same train, nor did they notice when they ended up next to each other. She subconsciously slouched against the pole and he consciously shifted away from her. Her brown-blonde hair wasn't greasy and her tan skin clean, but he knew that she was- in his mind- as worthless as the dirt metaphorically beneath his feet. Possibly less so.

She laughed ruefully under her breath at the man beside her. He wore a three piece suit with two cellphones and an electronic pocket planner attached to the belt. A Bluetooth adorned his ear and he tapped away at a third phone while yelling at some poor employee more likely than not.

She knew exactly who he was. His dark hair and eyes and tanned skin gave him away. Nicholas Fang, the most sought after man in New York. She would have said person, but Maximum Ride was a very popular person herself. The only difference between them was that almost no one knew who she actually was, consequently, they didn't know who they were looking for.

"'Xcuse me." The man didn't move and Maximum glanced anxiously at the open door. She couldn't miss this stop. "Excuse me, _Sir._" He didn't even glance her way as he waved her off. "Excuse me!"

She shoved him out of the way and practically ran to the door. She was thankful that she was so close to the door.

She wasn't so thankful when it slammed shut him her face. She hit her fist on the glass and suppressed a sob.

That _thing_ continued to blabber on his stupid Bluetooth. _Deep breath…_

Nicholas laughed and it sent her over the edge. Maximum whirled around and grabbed that smug bastard by the front of his tailored suit. He blinked in surprise, then reached up and clicked his headset off.

"What do you want?"

She bared her teeth. On the inside he quivered in fear but remained a stone slab on the outside.

"You know, _Nicholas,_ there are things more important in life than screaming at people and counting your money."

He smirked. "Oh really? Because it seems like to me that yelling and counting have gotten me somewhere. You seem to have the yelling down, but not the counting. You probably don't even know how, Ride."

Before she could interrogate him further, the subway train lurched to a sickening halt and plunged into darkness. As he was flung forward, head first into the pole, he couldn't help but mentally gloat over surprising her with that knowledge.

!~_

"Fang? Fang." Wow. No one had called him Fang in years. He deemed it a good enough reason to open his eyes. All he saw was black, then, a young, half-familiar angel dressed in white.

"So Fang, do you know who I am?"

He shook his head, nodded, then shook once more. "Who?"

"The ghost of Christmas past." He snorted. Cheesy? Yes. Cliché? Hell yeah. Working? ….

He opened his mouth to speak but she held a delicate finger to his lips. "Shh… let me talk." The darkness in front of him dissolved into a scene from his childhood.

"You were once like the rest of us, a young man struggling to survive in this world. At fifteen, you had huge dreams. And I commend you for reaching some of them."

He would have pretested at the 'some' part, but Fang was enthralled by the image in front of him. Two children- one dark haired and the other fair headed- grew rapidly. He watched as they transformed into pre-teens.

"Those dreams came at a steep price however. You left behind your family, all of the people who relied and depended on you, the first girl you loved-"

"No." He was fascinated and horrified as he saw the pair, now teens, sitting on a bench. The boy held her hand, kissed her cheek and whispered something- it seemed like a goodbye- in her ear. He didn't look back as he walked away, leaving the girl to cry over the rose in her lap. "The only girl."

The angel nodded and shifted, as did the scene.

It was the same girl, only older. She was even more heartbreakingly familiar, yet harder to place. In front of him sat a strong woman, complete with tawny wings and a leather jacket. She guided his eyes to the image from earlier.

A woman cried against a door as Fang continued to bully Gunther-Hagen.

"She was going to see her five-year-old daughter." Fang felt his face curl in disgust. She was twenty-four, possibly twenty-five. "Before you judge, she was raped before she was even nineteen. Her mother took in the child but not her. She lives on the streets because she can only provide for one of them, and she chose the girl."

He wiped his face clean and looked back at the scene. Instead of what he had just seen, it was showing Fang himself lying on the floor, bleeding from the head, and the woman- Ride, he called her- hovering over him.

"It is time for you to choose, for I am the ghost of Christmas present. But first- you must experience what is to come…"

She dissolved before his eyes.

In her place was- himself? It was Fang, old and dying surrounded by stacks of money, instead of the people he loved.

"Do you see what it is that you are becoming?" Two voices spoke in unison. Fang spun around only to see two children. One appeared to be ten, while the other- who was holding the older girl's hang- seemed three or four.

"Who are you?"

"The ghosts of Christmas future, or Angel and Annika." The little girl smiled shyly.

Fang furrowed his brow.

"Fang," Angel said, approaching, "Know this. You are on the first path, but this is the moment. You must decide if you want to become an old miser, or a father."

He nearly choked and Annika giggled.

"Farewell Fang."

He waved to the two girls. Right as they disappeared, Annika yelled out.

"Bye daddy! See you soon!" Everything became black once more.

!~_

He gasped for air.

"Fang?"

"Ride?" He glanced at her and realized it. She was the child, the teenager, the angel. She was everything that mattered. "Oh God, Ride, I'm so sorry. I just left. And I didn't protect you and-"

Maximum covered his mouth and wove her remaining hand into his. "Shh… it's alright."

"No! No it isn't! I _left_! God Maxie. I loved- love you and I left."

She grinned. "It's okay. You were only gone… oh, ten years? I guess it's better than twenty." He smiled slightly. "Come on, I can help you make up for lost time. And, there's someone I want you to meet."

He couldn't help but think it was a girl named Angel, who happened to look like one as well.

And when the lights turned back on, the rest of the car couldn't help but sigh- whether happy or disgusted- at the couple sitting on the ground, sharing their first kiss in a decade, their hands still intertwined.

**Somewhat cliché? Yeah. Somewhat weird? Yeah. But I really like it… it's not overwhelmingly Faxy, but it's there:3**

**R&R!**

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	6. Day 6

Prompt: Coal [A little AH fic about our favorite pair of siblings]  
Characters: Angel & Gazzy  
Words: 410+

!~_

The little girl laid on the floor, coloring a Christmas tree. A slightly older boy, who could be her twin, walked into the room and dropped down beside her.

"Hey Gaz."

"Hey Ange."

She continued working on her picture, ignoring his as he tugged roughly on her blonde curls. His hair, the same shade, was short and spiked upward, and smoking a little.

"You set off another bomb." He shrugged. "You know, you're going to get coal from Santa."

"Says who?" Without looking up, the girl pulled a picture from her finished pile and handed it to her brother.

He looked at the paper. It showed a sad child with a stocking full of black coal. Angel drew him with blonde hair and blue eyes. The girl next to him was smiling next to a stocking with lots of presents. She also had blonde hair and blue eyes.

"Hey! You drew _us_!" She giggled. "Angel, that's not fair."

He glanced at her picture then up at the tree from his spot on the living room floor. Back down. She was drawing their Christmas tree.

"So, you excited for tomorrow?"

She nodded enthusiastically. Christmas was her favorite time of year. She loved the family time, which they didn't get very often.

"Me too." They grinned at each other and Angel looked down.

"It's done!" He complimented her on it. "Thanks Gazzy."

"Angelina! Zephyr! Bedtime! They groaned at the use of their first names and the time. 8 o'clock? It was Christmas Eve! The two would be awake in their beds for hours. But they obeyed, Gazzy grumbling and Angel silent.

She smiled evilly behind her closed door. Gazzy has s surprised coming for him in the morning.

!~_

"Mom! Dad! Mom! Dad!" Angel and Gazzy jumped up and down on the bed, shouting in unison. "It's _Christmas_!"

Their mother groaned. "And five in the morning." After much pleading on the children's part, the parents made their way down the stairs to the tree.

"Stockings first!" Angel called, then calmed down- well, at least as well as a six-year-old on Christmas morning could. "Gazzy, you can go first."

He cast a suspicious glance at his sister, who was four years younger and still at the trickster stage. But the pull of the presents was too strong, so he shrugged it off.

Gazzy opened the top of his stocking, only to come face-to-face with a whole thing of coal. His face fell, then grew angry.

"Angel!"

She giggled.

**:3**

**R&R..**

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	7. Day 7

**OMG I'M SO SORRY! D: I can't even begin to explain how bad I feel about this :( I have a whole list of excuses, but you really don't want to hear them. Go ask MissSemi-Dependent if you really want to know ;P**

**MissSemi-Dependent- thank you for yelling at me! And I know I said I really didn't like day 8 but I love 7, but I switched 'em. Just to let ya know..**

**OOPS! Disclaimer- IDNOMR ^-^**

Prompt: #7- Family Reunion [Max meeting Fang's family for the first time; AH]  
Characters: the Flock  
Words: 730+

!~_

Staring at the door, I nearly vomit. _Breathe, Max._ Fang gives me an encouraging smile and I _almost_ feel better. Instead, I review the facts he gave me about his family.

Mom: Anne Walker. Isn't married. Iggy is Fang's twin and at twenty-one still acts like a child. They're adopted. Nudge is nineteen and also adopted. Gazzy is seventeen and Angel is fifteen, full siblings and Dr. Walker's only blood children.

Four siblings. I don't know if I can handle that. At home it's just Ella and I, and she's only fourteen, a freshman. A six year age difference led to us very rarely being in the house at the same time as we grew older.

"Max, you can do this."

"Can I Fang?" We've been dating a year and a half and Fang suddenly up and decides to bring me home for Christmas break. To meet his whole family, who are coming home from their various places of residence around the country. And of course, my parents don't have a problem with it. They haven't even met Fang and they love him. They're off on some cruise somewhere, and Ella is staying with our cousin, Maya.

"Yes." He swings the door open and pulls me in.

We're instantly swarmed by four blondes and a brunette, jabbering and introducing themselves. I only catch snippets but I most definitely am overwhelmed.

"OMG you must be Max-"

"-I'm Gazzy, don't ask-"

"Nudge-"

"-And Angel here! She's so pretty Fang! Why haven't we met her before-"

"-Gaz, what does she look like?-"

"-ZOMG! I love your hair! And your-"

"GUYS!" Fang wraps a protective arm around me and I realize I'm shaking. "You're scaring her."

"Sorry," The oldest of them, presumably their mom, responds. "Come on kids, settle down. Don't want to scare her off, do we?" She turns to me. "Hi, I'm Anne. Feel free to call me Anne, Mom, Dr. Walker, whatever really." She smiles warmly at me and I grin back. "Welcome in! Dinner's just about done…"

They herd us in and continue to chat amiable. I feel myself relax as Nudge and Angel (who bears a striking resemblance to her namesake) ramble about Fang as a kid. He stops his description of me to his blind brother, Iggy, to throw a small half smile my way. _Okay. I can do this._

Dinner rolls around and I find myself with Angel on one side and Nudge on the other. My boyfriend is seated across from me, and is sandwiched between Gazzy and Iggy. Anne sits at the head of the table.

"Dear Lord, we thank you for this food, and for being able to come together like this. Thank you for bringing Max and Fang together, and for letting her spend this week with us. In your name we pray, amen."

They all copy their mother's last word, leaving my scrambling to mutter it under my breath. Iggy smirks at the space between Nudge and I, so I assume it's meant for me.

Iggy and Anne whipped up a delicious dinner- one fit for and Christmas Eve meal. I eat and listen as Iggy teases his twin and the younger kids tell Fang about school, sports and friends. They all love him so much, and I'm left wondering why he hasn't visited in over a year.

"Max?" Fang pulls me aside as Gazzy- with much complaining and some threats about detonating one of his homemade bombs- clears the table. We walk hand-in-hand to the three season's porch.

"What's up?" He takes a deep breath; almost no one would notice, but I can see that he's nervous about something.

"I was going to wait a while to do this. But after seeing how much they all love you…" Another breath. He drops to one knee when he speaks again. "Maximum Martinez, will you marry me?"

I choke a little. "Yes!" He smiles, a huge Fang smile I haven't seen in what feels like ages.

"AH! This is so exciting!" I look up from hugging Fang to see his entire family smiling at us. Nudge and Angel are squealing.

"ZOMG! They will make the cutest Fax babies ever!" They jump up and down at this. Fang and I exchange a glance. _Fax? What the-?_

"Welcome to the family, Max." Anne is happy, which sooths my nerves about her reaction. I grin at Fang.

"Mrs. Maximum Ride. I love it."

**Not my best. Eh, whatever. BUUUUT, I absolutely LOVEEE the next one! I hope I didn't upset you guys too much :(**

**Double update, possibly triple (And I will try to get The Taken too) tonight/this morning, but please**

**R&R!**

**Each!:P**

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	8. Day 8

**OMGGG I LOVEE THIS ONE! :D**

Prompt: #8- Angels [A man reflects back on his life; AH-ish]  
Characters: Max & Fang  
Words: 1,200+

!~_

The sky. She loved it. Her favorite thing to do was sit on the front porch and stare at it for hours. Didn't matter what time of day, or what the weather was, she loved every minute of it.

When we were children, she wanted to fly more than anything. She once jumped out of a tree with a kite tied to her back. She broke her left wrist and her right knee. Two weeks later, she launched herself off the roof, casts and all. She fancied that if she got enough speed and air time, and flapped her arms fast enough, she would fly. Instead, she ended up with another trip to the hospital and two broken ribs and her left ankle fractured. She didn't even cry.

Middle school was the time of weekly career changes. I myself was debating between becoming a computer technician and an engineer. Our friends joked around about being explosive experts, fashion designers and psychologists, but didn't actually know. She knew. From the moment they first brought her home from the hospital and she caught a glimpse of that sun set. She would have dropped out of school and joined right then, but you had to be eighteen to become an air force pilot. It scared me to death: my best friend, going into the military? War is dangerous, and I didn't want to lose her.

It was high school, middle of junior year, when I realized it. She was dating a half-abusive ass who took her for granted. He was two years older and pure trouble. They were driving to a school dance and they crashed. Later, we discovered he was intoxicated. She almost died. Sitting in that hospital waiting room, trying not to cry, I discovered an emotion I had hid away. She was much more than my best friend, she was my whole life. With that knowledge I felt as free as the birds she loved, yet even more trapped. After all, she didn't love me, and I had a girlfriend.

She met a guy in college. I had been biding my time once I was single, waiting to see if she could ever feel the same was I did, but then he came along. Tall, blonde haired, blue eyed and perfect in every way. I didn't even stand a chance. She had decided, after much pleading and chocolate chip cookies on her parent's part, to put the military off for four years, get a degree. When Mr. Perfect found out, he encouraged her, but I saw the doubt in his eyes. I buried myself in my studies to become a teacher and distanced us, She didn't seem to notice.

Graduation rolled around, and with it, a ring. Mr. Perfect proposed and she agreed to be Mrs. Perfect. My heart shattered into pieces, seemingly irreparable, in that moment. She went off to boot camp and I stayed in our home town. She became and air force pilot like she wanted to and I became a high school teacher. They had my in the math department, my better area, but I transferred into sciences. Her favorite subject.

I was a silent robot, just going through the motions. He didn't deserve her. I picked her up from the airport when she flew home. I helped plan the wedding. I helped in choosing the flower arrangements and color schemes. I held her surprise bridal shower. I supervised the bachelorette party. On her wedding day I stood by the altar, one spot over from where I should have been. I was the bastard's best man.

And in the blink of an eye, it was done. Their honeymoon was over and she was being shipped off to her base. He stayed behind. Two months later she sent word- she was pregnant. I was heartbroken and he was pissed. That night he went out drinking. I received a call at three in the morning. Dylan was dead.

She was comatose when she heard. The world held no meaning without him, like mine had no meaning without her. She almost lost the baby because of it. The thing that snapped her out of it?

I kissed her.

A scream, a slap to the face, a sob fest and one run away later, we were no longer friends. It was not what I wanted, but it got the job done. She was back.

The baby was born, a girl, who she named Ella after her sister. She was the best mother I knew, from what I knew. She didn't exactly include me in her- or her daughter's- life for the first year or so.

I was lonely. My friends, who did end up being bomb technicians, took it upon themselves to jump start my love life. They were all redheads and they all had one problem: they weren't the woman I loved. On my seventh date, on that I almost didn't show up for, I swear I almost had a heart attack.

She was sitting there, in all of her blonde haired and beautiful glory, at the table I was told to sit at. I sat. She stared and I stared right back.

I know now that they had set it all up, right from the beginning.

We talked; I asked how Ella was and she asked about teaching. At the end of the night I kissed her cheek and she cried into my shoulder.

A year later, we were standing on a secluded beach, married. It was a small event, our four closest friends and family in the sand behind us. All the women cried and the men gave us proud, and watery, smiles. She held me as I cried tears of joy. We got on the plane for our honeymoon and I thought I had entered heaven.

Skip five years, and we were the proud parents of four. Ella was nearly nine, Ari was four. The twins, Nick and Annie- short for Annalise, were going on two. I was still a teacher and she was a skydiving instructor. She always said it was the closest she would ever get to flying.

We grew older and eventually the kids all moved out. I missed them, but empty nest syndrome hit her hard. So we became foster parents. For twelve years, we took in teens who needed it. She cried every time one was adopted, sent to another house, or grew too old for the system.

We were sixty when we found out she had terminal cancer. She held out for eleven years- ten longer than they said we would get. But in the end, the cancer won and she was ripped away from me.

Sitting on our front porch, I think out it. We knew each other seventy two years, our whole lives, and I called her mine for over forty, but it wasn't enough.

I look up at the sky and close my eyes. The tears are gone, but the tear stains remain. A breeze blows around me from my seat in the rocking chair, and I know she's in a better place. There's no pain in Heaven, and I like to think God made and exception for her and gave her wings. She can finally fly with the angels up in beloved sky.

Leaving me behind, alone, wingless, and stuck on the ground.

"I miss you so much," I whisper. "I love you, Max. Merry Christmas." And as I take my final breath, I sweat I head her voice in the wind around me.

"_I love you too Fang."_

**DAW :') I just think that's so cute. I know it's not very Christmasy, but whatever!**

**R&R? :3**

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	9. Day 9

**A/N: Hey y'all! Soo, this might look a little weird. I'm typing this on my mom's boyfriend's computer, which is so old that the monitor and the whats-it-called aren't attached, and I'm typing this on... dundundunnnn... Wordpad. **_**GASP**_**! I know, the horror ;) AND, they keep making fun of me because I first started typing this in NotePad, not WordPad, and the fact that I'm terrified of this dinosaur. And, the fact that I can't figure out how to raise the chair (my stepbrother person had to do it for me -_-) isn't helping my case any:P**

**Anywho, I'm so sorry for the delay from yesterday. :( I seem to do awfully with updating on weekends -_-**

**Enjoy!:3**

Prompt: #9- Stars [Max and Fang sneak out for a little Christmas morning flight. Pre-Angel Experiment]

Characters: Max & Fang

Words um... I dunno how to work this computer! D:...

!~_

"Pst. _Pssst!_" She only groaned and rolled over. He resisted face palming. "Max!"

"Wha-!" Her limbs flailed and she jerked upward. "I'm up, I'm up!"

He smirked. "Come on."

"God Fang, it's the middle of the night. What do you want?"

"Let's go for a fly." She was up instantaneously, pulling on a pair of sweatpants over her shorts. She left her tank top on, despite it being December, so her wings could easily shake out. The two lept from the window and soared.

She closed her eyes and just enjoyed the feeling of the wind in her feathers. Nothing was better than flying. Well, besides a certain Tall Dark and Handsome bird kid...

Max snuck a glance at Fang. He was so different from when they were in the School. Gone was the scared little boy; emphasis on little. At thirteen he was tall, powerful and incredibly strong, much stronger than Max, to her everlasting annoyance.

He caught her glance at him and smirked. She quickly looked down, hoping to hide her blush. After a minute, she found the silence unbearable.

"Sooo..." Fang chuckled silently at her, making Max huff indignantly. Of course he didn't mind the quiet, almost everything he did was soundless. "Why are we out here?"

He was content to fly silently; watching Max being uncomfortable was amusing. After a few moments he could tell she was ready to explode, so he took pity. Fang pulled himself vertical and turned to face her. She followed his lead. Their wing tips brushed as they flapped, just as they had hundreds of times before. It was easily fixable, but this was different, and they didn't want to change it.

"It's the morning, and I wanted to say it before anyone else." He flew in, closing the distance between them. All that separated the pair was a few inches. Max looked up at him through her eyelashes, her big, brown eyes curious. God, he loved her eyes. Fang smiled slightly. "Merry Christmas, Maximum."

She hated it when people used her first name, but this... this was special. The way he said it made her feel special, special and wanted. "You too, Fang," She said it with a grin, but it abruptly fell.

This was Fang. They were best friends, practically the Flock's parents. There was no room for other emotions. Just the leader and her right wing man. He was her brother, her comrade in arms, nothing more. She searched for something to say, frantic for something to distract him with. He could see her distress and they both knew it. He knew exactly what she was thinking, her emotions, and it was times like that that Max hated and loved it.

"Fang! Look!" She gasped. He knew she wasn't faking it. So the boy slowly, hesitantly, _sadly,_ turned in the direction of her pointing finger. His eyes barely widened and his lips twitched; she knew he loved it too.

It was a shooting star, the largest either had ever seen, falling from the sky. "Looks like it's not just us flying tonight," He commented. Max smiled softly. She loved how he always talked more around her, she was honored by his trust and faith in her.

"Well," She nudged his side. "Make a wish/" He nodded. Max closed her eyes and breathed in deeply, and Fang took the chance to soak in the moment. Beautiful. God, she was freaking gorgeous. She he closed his eyes as well, and the two hovered blindly in the air for a few, silent, perfect moments.

Max cracked her eyes open and looked at her beautiful creation of a best friend. Dark hair, long curling eyelashes, strong cheek bones and a beautiful jawline.

_...I wish she would love me..._

_...I wish I could show him..._

They both sighed and opened their eyes once more. Max knew he could never know, for fear of the consequences. They just couldn't afford it. Fang knew (or thought he knew) that she could never love him.

So they flew back silently. A minute or two in, she grabbed his hand- purely a best friend gesture, she assured herself. He beamed into the night, making her smile grow in response. God she wanted to...

Fang landed first and pulled Max into his arms for a non-awkward, only-friends hug. Their eyes met, both forlorn, but for slightly different reasons. He leaned down and kissed her forehead softly. It was a silent promise. He'd never forget, but he would never bring it up again.

Then he was gone and the door was closed. They both leaned against it and wished for one more thing.

_...I wish I could show him how much I love him..._

_...I wish she could love me back..._

A third, unknown party held their breath.

"I love you, Fang."

"Merry Christmas, Max, but I have to let go."

They were mere inches apart, but neither heard the other. They pulled back and their hands fell slowly to their sides. As Max cried in her bed and Fang stared out the window, sorting out his inner pain, the little girl sighed sadly. They had missed their chance.

Or maybe not.

Angel, only five years old, tucked herself into bed, and made a wish on a star herself.

_Santa, all I want for Christmas is for them to be happy together..._

**:'(**

**I hate writing angsty Fax, but thought this turned out pretty well.**

**R&R? Even though you're mad?**

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	10. Day 10

**It's me again! :D**

**Love y'all? :3**

Prompt: Silver and Gold [AU, AH; A royal ball is held, where a certain Prince and Pauper meet]

Characters: Max & Fang

Words:

!~_

_You are formally invited to the Royal Yule Ball_

She groaned and rubbed her eyes. She didn't want to go. At all.

"Max! Keep reading!" Her younger sisters jumped up and down excitedly, very unlady-like, she noted (not that she cared). She only sighed in response.

_Participants are asked to dress formally_

_They will receive a token at the start of the evening_

_There will be a corresponding color, which they will be informed of_

_The color will then be concealed-_

What was this token and color nonsense? Ella and Nudge, however, were ecstatic. So she continued.

_Guests will partake in festivities, including dances and meals_

_When they feel particularly acquainted, they may show the other their token._

_The person with the corresponding color is their betrothed-_

"NO! I am not marrying some- some _freak_ just because a magical bracelet tells me to!"

Her sisters shushed her, reprimanding her for speaking out in such a manner, and finished reading the invitation. Max had the sinking feeling she wouldn't be able to get out of the ball.

!~_

"No."

"Nicholas, you will go. This is for _you_ and this is your last chance-"

"I don't need a wife."

"Yes! You do!" The woman, so much like her son, motioned at the couple by the door. She turned to leave. "I expect you to be ready for tonight within the hour." The servants nodded briskly then bowed as she swept out of the room. The young boys started towards their master, but he raised a hand.

"I can do it myself." His tone was as cold as the glaciers in the mountains surrounding them, but the pair was far from scared. They had served him since he was a child. He was their friend, but he was angry.

"Of course, Your Highness." They bowed once more and started towards the door.

"I- I'm sorry. What does she have picked out, Gaz?" Gaslandor smiled at him, and began rambling about it while his blind brother, Ignitous, pulled the desired clothing.

"This will be _hell!"_ Nicholas, Prince and heir of the Itex kingdom, moaned. His friends only smirked.

!~_

"No."

"Max, get out of the carriage."

"_No._"

"Maxine Valentina Martinez, get out of the carriage this instant, or I will have you dragged out and thrown with the pigs where you belong. All in front of every person in the kingdom, including the Royal family"

"Yes Mother." She muttered under her breath about not caring what the Royal family saw, or thought of her. Her mother, Valencia, heard but chose to ignore it. You could only fight so many battles, especially with Max.

A man bowed at the waist with a flourish. "Good evening, m'ladies. My name is Jeb Batchelder. If you have any questions or concerns throughout the night, please feel free to seek me out." The door opened and they were nearly corralled in, much to Max's displeasure. Her family, consisting of Ella and Nudge- sixteen and seventeen respectively- and Valencia, were in awe of the splendors around them.

Max was in a dress much too tight, low-cut, and nice for her tastes. It was without rips, tears, and mud, something essential to her life as a farm girl. How they even got it was a mystery to her. A table was displayed to her right, flocked by desperate young girls who dreamed of getting the colored token that would bind them to Prince Nicholas. She was eighteen and far from naive. Months of hunger and pain had stripped the rose colored glasses from her eyes as a young child.

Despite the hardships, she loved it. Living on all of that open land, with no one near you, it was her favorite feeling in the world. She did not need some man coming in and ruining that for her. A prince would only worsen the situation. She vowed to steer far away from the table.

Alas, her goal was ended quite soon when her cousin, a man named Ari, came up to her and grabbed her arm. Max struggled as much as was polite in public, but they soon arrived at the dreaded table.

"Maxine Valentina Martinez, here for her token." The way the older man said it, her name flowed smoothly off his tongue, fluttering with its exotic sound. When Max said it, she tripped and stumbled and made herself sound like a fool. All in all, she preferred the way Ari spoke.

The official handed her a chain. On it, was a single silver ring. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen, twisting vines wrapped around each other, adorned with small black gemstones. She could tell they were onyx, a rare jewel. Why would her token be so valuable? The man whispered three words in her ear and she nodded before slipping the chain onto her neck. The ring was hidden in the folds of her gown, safely tucked away from prying eyes.

She turned and started towards the food. Time to find her Prince Charming.

The official looked on kindly, hoping the two would be brought together before the night was over.

!~_

Prince Nicholas examined the dance floor from his shadowed corner. He fingered his token beneath his tunic- a gold ring that shone with amber droplets. It was a beautiful artifact, if a bit archaic, and he thought well of the choice made. He wondered who his betrothed was, and if she was there yet. No one on the dance floor screamed _it's me._ They all just reeked of desperate. Nicholas knew that the official in charge would never choose anyone like that for him. The ball after all, was a ruse to find him a wife. The man would have chosen someone level-headed, who wasn't distracted by him. Someone to balance him. None of these girls fit that description.

The official had a pet name among the younger of the people in the castle. The Voice, they called him, for he always seemed to know what was happening and exactly what to say. No one- or, nearly no one- knew his true name, but he didn't mind. The Voice would have only chosen the best for the prince.

A man that Nicholas was well acquainted with was standing at the cluster of servants, eating carefully and chatting with a young woman in a vibrant red dress. Few were brave enough to wear such a color, but she wore it well. Ari, the Ambassador from the farming districts. Anyone who had caught his attention was worth meeting. He decided to take a detour from his search. He didn't actually care about it, but he always enjoyed a challenge.

!~_

The one good thing about a red dress? It hid nearly all of the stains.

Max was thankful for that as she ate. The younger girls had refused her food on the ride, wanting to make sure she would fit perfectly into her stunning dress. And yes, she could admit that it was stunning. Not that she would tell anyone but Ari.

"God Airs, this dress is killing me! I specifically told them, no corset, but did they listen? _No-_" A throat being cleared cut her off, and she turned around. She was quite surprised to see the prince, smirking in amusement at her statement. She flushed slightly and curtseyed. "Your Highness."

He nodded slightly before brushing her off and turning to the man at her side. "Ari Martinez! I haven't seen you in nearly a month!" They grasped fore arms and she was left slack jawed at the exchange. Her cousin was friends with the _prince?_ Good Lord... Someone tugged lightly on her elbow.

"I believe you have yet to meet. Prince Nicholas, I would be pleased to introduce you to my cousin, Maxine Valentina Martinez." She curtseyed once more, but he waved it off.

"Ari speaks highly of you; do not feel the formalities of the court. Please," He added as she opened her mouth to protest. "And Maxine Valentina Martinez seems a mouthful. Is there another name you go by?" She looked to Ari, who was seven years her senior, who nodded.

"Just Max, Your- Uh, Prince Nicholas?" She flushed as the two men chuckled.

"Call me Fang, all of my close friends do." She smiled and he nodded his head graciously. Ari excused himself to speak to another ambassador across the dance floor. Max stared at the ornate ground, completely uncomfortable. She was standing with the prince of the kingdom, some place she never wanted to be. But she could name a hundred girls who would kill to be in her place.

Fang cleared his throat again. Max glanced up and blushed at the sight of his dark eyes on her.

"Um, do you mind if I eat?" He shook his head, clearly amused. "Thank God!" She continued to talk as she browsed the selection of food. "My family wouldn't let me eat all day so I could wear this monstrosity," She gestured to the dress, "tonight. Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to blab…"

"It's alright, Max. Most of these girls haven't eaten in weeks for this ball. It is refreshing to meet someone who isn't afraid to be themself."

She smiled shyly in his direction and grabbed more food.

By the table, the two men exchanged a glance. The plan was coming along well.

!~_

The night was coming to a close, and Fang had not spoken to anyone but Max the entire night. She was shy yet outgoing, and not afraid to be herself. It was preferred over the fake women that surrounded them. But their time together was almost up.

He nodded as she told him of her dreams of owning her own farm, astounded. She was so different.

Fang gazed into her amber eyes and contemplated his decision. How would she react? Max had made it very clear to him that she didn't need a man to be able to do anything. He respected that. As the time had passed, more than one (or dozens) girl had come up to the couple and flashed their colored token at him. None were the one he was looking for.

"Max! Oh Maxie-Poo!" a young woman walked up, clasping the hand of- Iggy? Fang raised an amused eyebrow at him. "Oh! I'm so sorry… Please excuse me, Your-"

"Call me Fang. How do you know Max?" Max chuckled, he assumed due to his directness.

"She's my baby sister Fang." The woman he admired turned to the girl. "Who is this Nudge?"

The girl took a deep breath and he saw Max brace herself. "Well, this is Iggy, and we sort of met and started talking, and I had a red token and he had a green and those were our matching colors! So Maxine, I would be pleased to introduce you to my new fiancé, Ignitous."

Max smiled and shook the boy's hand.

"Max! Oh, and Nudge! I would like you to meet-"

The oldest of the two cut in. "Ella? Let me guess- you found your fiancé as well." A girl who looked much like Max came from another direction, with his friend Gazzy in tow.

"Yes. This is Gaslandor." Fang found it amusing that the sisters were marrying a pair of brothers. Especially _that_ pair. Ella and Nudge talked to each other excitedly and Gazzy and Iggy talked about the girls that they were bound too.

Fang was glad to see his friends happy. He turned to say something to Max, only to see her standing to the side, defeated. She had said she didn't need a man, but she wanted a partner to spend her life with.

It made the decision for him.

"Max," it was barely a whisper, but she heard. He took one last look at her beautiful eyes and swooped in for a kiss. A life changing kiss.

!~_

She was almost in rapture. As he pulled away she caught a good glimpse of his eyes. Onyx.

No. Not possible.

Shakily, Max reached into the folds of her gown and pulled on the chain. At the same time, Fang reached for his token. They showed them simultaneously, then gasped.

Silver and Gold.

Their eyes met and a fire lit in their souls.

!~_

In the background, Ari, Jeb, and the Voice smiled happily. The plan was a success.

**I really liked this one:) andd, I spent over two days writing it (which is why it wasn't up yesterday. Sorry:3).**

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	11. Day 11

**:)**

Prompt: #11- Greetings [AH; The new kid moves in next door. Kid Fax]  
Characters: Max & Fang  
Words:

!~_

"Max! Time to come downstairs!" I groaned.

"But _Mama!_ I wanted to play with Elly!" I jumped down the stairs, mad at my mom for disrupting out game.

"Max dear, we have dinner at the neighbor's tonight. They're new here."

"Mama, it's Christmas _Eve!_ Santa's going to be here soon!" I was never one to throw temper tantrums, but I had really wanted to play with Ella.

"Maximum. Santa won't be here until you're asleep…" She stopped, and I knew it would be great or really bad. "And, I heard there's a little boy your age there…"

Awesome. It was _horrible_ news! My shoulders slumped forward. I didn't want a friend. I wanted Santa to come and I wanted to open presents with my four year old sister. Not meet another spoiled brat that wanted a bigger house and a better family.

We trudged through the snow to the house next to us, Mom carrying a casserole dish. Dad let me knock, but being two years older, I let Ella do the honors. She grinned happily as she banged on the door and grinned even wider when a woman opened the door. At her ankle was a dark skinned girl, who beamed at Ella. They raced off into the house, leaving me with three adults too many.

"Valencia! I'm glad you could come! Nick!" A boy just barely taller than me appeared, and I sized him up. I could take him. We stared each other down, even as our parents moved us to the living room. He glared and I made my glare scarier. He didn't stand a chance.

Or so I thought.

We spent the rest of the night like that, missing dinner and dessert. When Dad came to grab me, he shook his head and laughed, then tapped my nose. The spell was broke. With one last appraisal of the boy, I held out my hand.

"Nice to meet you stranger, I'm Max."

"Fang." We shook.

Dad scooped me up and bade the Ride's goodbye, muttering under his breath all the while. "Six years old and scary as heck." But as he tucked me in, I could hear him whisper, "I'm glad you made a friend sweetie."

!~_

I tap my foot impatiently on the airport tile, wishing that his plane would land already.

"Come on, come _on!"_ I chew my nail. Five minutes. Moving on, I pick the nail polish (the stuff I just put on this morning) off. Two minutes. God, how long will it be before I can see him?

"Flight number 2187 has now landed." My feet can't be stopped, they just drum out a beat that annoys the nearest couple away. They finally start arriving, in ones and twos. I search for the telltale beige clothing.

Two years. That's how long he's been overseas.

And finally I see it, a tall, dark, and extremely handsome man wearing Army briefs and dropping his bad. I launch myself in his direction and he catches me, just like every time before it.

"Hey stranger." He smiles into my hair.

"Hello Mrs. Ride. Merry Christmas."

**Okay. Really bad. But my mom is bitching at me to go to bed and I really wanted to get caught up soooo yeah:P**

**R&R? :3**

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	12. Day 12

**Heyyo(:**

Prompt: #12- Jack Frost [AU; A trip through the woods, over the river, and to grandma's house leads to some interesting realizations]  
Characters: Nudge & Iggy  
Words: 1,300+

!~_

The dark skinned girl picked her way across the bridge, wary of any loose stones. December was not the time of year to be falling in Frost River. She shivered at the thought and pulled her thin shawl tighter.

There were stories, told to children and whispered around glasses at the tavern, about that bridge. She didn't normally believe them, but crossing on her own was nerve-wracking.

If she hadn't promised her younger siblings to visit, she would have been back in the palace with her charges. She smiled at the thought of the little Princess Angel and the young Prince Zephyr, a light showing in her dark eyes. She rechecked her basket for the gifts.

The top on was a baby blanket, making the light shine brighter. Her dear friend Max was expecting a child with her husband Nick. She was convinced it would be the cutest child ever born.

Her attention was swayed for a second too long though, and the stone beneath her feet shifted. She was thrown into the water, immediately unconscious from the cold.

A shadowy figure darted out from its hiding spot deep beneath the bridge and grabbed her dropping body.

!~_

She woke, coughing up water and sucking in air. Looking around, she tried to figure out where she was. IT was a room- in the river? She gasped, a hand over her mouth and eyes widened in horror.

Oh no. Oh no, no no _no!_

"They're true…" It was only a whisper but it roused the room's only other occupant. Her eyes continued to stare at the water about her. Unlike the surface, it was clear at the riverbed, like the tropical waters she would never see.

"M'lady!" She jumped, terrified. A man stood in front of her, bowing. He had icy blue eyes and blonde hair so fair it was silver. "I am glad that you're well." She nodded warily and his face fell. He looked almost… bitter. He held out his hand and she shook it daintily.

"May I ask who you are, m'lady?" She wanted to simultaneously giggle and punch him for the term.

"Monique Nudge, Sir. But everyone calls me Nudge, because I really don't like my name. It just sounds too… French. Does it sound French to you too?" Nudge was rambling, but quickly clapped a hand over her mouth. "Sorry."

"S'all right, m'lady." She decided she didn't like the phrase. At all.

"And, who are you?" He smiled brightly and drew himself to his full height, nearly a foot taller than Nudge.

"Jack Frost at your service, m'lady."

"_WHAT!_" She shrieked loudly and ran to the other side of the room. "You mean you're _real_?"

Jack chuckled, which turned into a laughter, which turned into four minutes of laughing hysterically at her. He wiped a tear from his pale blue eyes. "Yes," He gasped. "I am real. Though my friends call me Iggy."

She nodded again and he looked annoyed. Nudge put two and two together. "And, you're blind…"

It was his turn to nod.

"I'm so… tired…"

Iggy jumped forward and caught the girl then carried her to the bed. He tucked her in and smoothed her curls. "Then go to sleep m'lady."

She didn't mind the name so much anymore.

!~_

"Nudge, wake up! Quickly!" The girl jerked awake, once more confused. Where was she? Oh yeah. A cabin in the river belonging to Jack Frost. Who went by the absurd name of Iggy.

She groaned. This was _so_ messed up.

"What do you want?" He grinned in response.

"I have a job to do, and it's time for me to start. Will you come with me?" Iggy held out a hand again and helped Nudge to her feet.

"…Sure." The boy smiled happily. She liked the way his electric blue eyes lit up- Wait. "Iggy? Your eyes- they changed colors!"

His smile grew and he poked the tip of her nose. "That's because I can see, m'lady."

Nudge's jaw dropped. "How?"

"Like I said, I have a job to do, and I can't do it blind. One of the many wonders of being a mythical being." Iggy gestured to the 'roof'- she looked up and saw that the water was dark, besides where moonlight shone. "Let's go. Now, you might want to hold your breath."

Wrapping his arms around her waist, Iggy bent his knees and jumped.

"_AHH-_!" The two flew through the water, but didn't get wet like Nudge expected. She closed her eyes tightly, but when a breeze hit her she cracked them. Her brow shot up.

They were _flying_. The dull thump of wings could be heard, so she glanced over her shoulder. Nudge was surprised, but not exactly shocked, to see a pair of ivory wings attached to _Iggy._

"Beautiful…" Iggy closed his eyes, and the serene look on his face made Nudge smile softly.

"Thank you, m'lady."

They flew over the landscape, and Nudge watched in awe as frost spread on the ground below them where ever they flew. She would never get used to the feeling of flying, and she never wanted to. Hours later, when Nudge's eyelids were drooping, the two landed. The first rays of sunlight were shining up above the horizon, creating a beautiful backdrop for the small cottage in her line of view.

"Wait… How did you know?"

"This is the only house full of mini-Nudges across my river, so I just assumed… is that okay?" He grinned sheepishly, but Nudge could see his eye color fading.

"Yes, it's perfect," she breathed. "Thank you. I really wanted to get here before Christmas." She turned away from her grandmother's house to look at him. Iggy's face was falling, opposite of the rising sun. "Iggy…"

"What, Nudge?" He was so resigned that she wanted to cry.

"Does your sight fade depending on the sun?"

"…Yes." Her heart broke. "Right now, it's all shadows. Soon, it will be black again."

Ig-"

"What do you want, Nudge? What do you want to hear?" He slashed at her outstretched hand and turned away. "I need to go to get back before sun up." A tear slid from her eye, but she came back to herself abruptly. How could she just let this man, this hurting, injured man walk away from her? It was her nature to help those in need, and this was no exception.

"Jack Frost, you get your arse back here right this instant." When he didn't turn around, she stomped her foot. "Now!" Iggy sullenly turned around. All of those years working with the royal children had paid off.

"Yes? What would you like me to do?"

"I want you to kiss me. And then we will march into that house and have a jolly good time spending Christmas with my family, who will accept you as one of their own."

"You want me to _what?_ Nudge, Monique, I'm a freak. I have _wings_ and am the reason that there's frost on the ground every morning. And, I'm blind. You don't, at least, won't, want anything to do with me."

"But you're wings are gorgeous, and the frost is needed for the world to operate properly. I don't care that you're blind, if anything, I love it. It makes you who you are." He smiled softly at her.

"Whatever you say, m'lady. …But, I need your help…" Nudge smiled softly, loving how he said m'lady. She gently took his face in her hands and brought their lips together. She loved every second of it. His lips tingled against her and cold puffs of air brushed her face. He was unusually cool, but she figured that it was a consequence of being Jack Frost.

"Now, let's go."

They smiled and Nudge laced their hands together before turning to the house. She was so happy to spend Christmas with her two siblings, Max and Nick, her grandmother, and now, Iggy.

It couldn't get more perfect.

**I liked this one…**

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	13. Day 13

**Hey thereee...**

Prompt: #13- Gingerbread House [Post-FANG. A little sisterly bonding time]  
Characters: Max & Ella  
Words: 780+

!~_

_Ella POV_

"Hey Ells?" It's Max.

"Yeah?"

"Let's go do something fun!" God I hope she doesn't want to go hike Mount Everest or something crazy like that. I groan.

"Like what?" She meanders into the room, holding two boxes. Her brow furrows and she mouths the words as she reads the instructions.

"Oh!" Max finally gets whatever she's reading. Her wings shoot out from the happiness and I sigh in my head. I wish I had wings like the rest of them.

"Max? _Ma-ax._"

"What? Oh. Oh yeah! We're making gingerbread houses!" My eyebrows rise. "Well, mine's technically a tree…"

"Is there any cooking involved?"

"Nope!" She's so happy she doesn't even notice my jab to her kitchen skills. "Only frosting. Come on, let's go!"

I sigh out loud. Iggy wanted to hang out for a while. "Fine."

Her smile drops. "Well, um… you don't have to. I just thought…" Max face crumples, her voice quivers and tears pool, and I feel awful.

"No, it's a great idea! Mom will be home soon and we can show her then!"

The smile is back aw we walk to the kitchen. Thank God.

!~_

A few hours later, we're finally done. The finished products are a brown (frosting mishap- _ahem,_ Max…) Christmas tree- which is lopsided- and a white house with a red roof (see what I did? _Ginger_bread house?;) ). They turned out quite well, for the two of us being unsupervised.

The two of us, on the other hand, are messes. Max has frosting on her face and my normally dark hair is white from an exploding sugar bag. There is cookie under my nails, my hair is no longer straight, the makeup has melted off my face, and I look like a walking disaster.

But it's all worth it. Seeing how Max has just lit up through the process is the most rewarding thing I can think of. She's gotten better, but we can all tell she's still heart broken. So to get her mind off of it for this long? Perfect. Absolutely amazing. Almost nothing could beat this early Christmas gift (if I do say so myself) besides Fang himself.

A door- probably the front, seeing as how we're blocking the back one- slams. "Ella? I'm home!"

We share a glance. "Mom!"

After a silent battle of the eyes, we race down the halls towards her. Max, of course, wins when she hugs Mom, a full rug ahead of me. I huff, but soon forget it. We jump up and down around her, excited as little children on Christmas… which is _tomorrow_!

"Mom! MOM!"

"What, what?" She smirks at our actions.

"Come on, we need to go to the kitchen. We have something to show you!" Max jogs ahead, and Mom sends me a thankful glance. I nod slightly.

"Iggy!_ Gazzy! TOTAL!_" We run into the room, to see Max, crestfallen and full of rage, staring slack-jawed at the three, who have managed to devour the entire tree and the roof and two walls of my house.

"Oops." Gazzy speaks around the food in his mouth, crumbs on his cheeks falling to the linoleum. Max's mouth closes, opens, and repeats. Finally it stops, open.

Tears appear again in her eyes, but this time they fall. She runs out of the room and seconds later her door slams. You can hear the sobs from here.

Mom and I turn to the boys, matching glares plastered on our faces. "Boys…"

They gulp.

!~_ Christmas Morning _~!

_Max POV_

I slump upwards, tears still burning in my eyes. Why'd they have to do that? Why couldn't they just let me have that one thing? _One thing,_ that's all.

"Max, honey?" Mom pokes her head around the door. "Oh sweetie. Come on, the kids have a surprise for you." She helps me up and we walk hand in hand to the living room. Or so I think. She keeps going though, through the long hallway to the dreaded kitchen. I don't want to go in there, but I'm too tired to fight, so she leads me in.

And I see a Christmas, Gingerbread Wonderland.

"Surprise! Merry Christmas, Max!" The five kids, plus Total, jump out from various hiding spots around the room and rush to hug me.

"Thanks. Thank you so much." My face hurts from the smile, but I wouldn't have it any other way. Iggy walks up and tentatively wraps his arms around me.

"I'm sorry, Max," He whispers it into my hair.

"It's okay. This is wonderful." We smile, and I look out at the village of houses, all with red roofs, and trees, all with brown frosting. "It's perfect."

_Merry Christmas Fang._

**I like it. ;)**

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	14. Day 14

**Oh my God guys, I am so sorry. My absence has been in-excusable, especially on this story. :( BUT! I hope to finish this by New Years, despite the fact that I have to write a five page Bio paper by next Thursday. -_-**

**Okay, on with the show! :P**

!~_

Prompt: # 14- Icicles [AH; A little Gazzy and Iggy bonding time]  
Characters: Gazzy & Iggy

Words: 780

"Dude, where are Max and Fang?" The two boys lounged against a wooden fence, completely at ease.

"How should I know? As long as they're using protection, I don't care." The taller one punched his friend at the remark, completely grossed out. He _so_ didn't need that image in his head.

"Knock it off. They wouldn't do that," He paused, "At least, they _better_ not be doing that! Gross man! That's _my_ sister and _your_ brother!"

The younger one laughed. "Calm down, Igs. Fang took her to the movies to go see Les Miserables or something like that. Supposedly she's been _dying_ to see it, ever since her choir sang some song from it." Iggy shook his head at the boy's explanation, still trying to burn the image of their siblings _together_ off of his brain.

They sat in silence for a few moments, but between the two trouble makers, silence like that didn't last long.

"Soo…." Iggy waited not-so-patiently for Gazzy to continue his sentence. "What do you want to do?"

He sighed. "I dunno, Gaz. Max and Fang are at their movie, I'm sure Nudge is off shopping with Ella, and Angel is plotting to take over the world with her stuffed bear." They both shook their heads; Angel- Gazzy and Fang's younger sister- had been on the 'world domination' kick for a few weeks. According to her, Angel and Celeste were going to take over any second, and rule with iron fists. At six years old, it didn't seem likely.

"So where does that leave us- Whoa!" Gazzy raced off, and Iggy tried to follow.

"Uh, hello! Blind boy here who can't _see where you're going or what you're doing!"_ His partner-in-crime slowed and laughed sheepishly.

"Sorry Igs. But you'll never guess-"

"Just tell me damn it!"

Gazzy smirked, though his companion couldn't see it.

"Icicles."

Iggy smiled too, a plan forming.

!~_

"So, recap?"

"We're going to pick icicles and eat them."

"_That's_ your 'brilliant plan'?" Gazzy chuckled when Iggy scowled at him.

"It was sort of a split second thing. Anyways, I don't hear you coming up with anything!" The two squared off, gazing (though Iggy's eyes were a bit to the left) at each other firmly until Gazzy finally caved.

"Fine. At least it will pass time."

"Great!" The younger boy sighed at his friend's enthusiasm. "Now, lead me to de icicles!" He flourished grandly, and Gazzy couldn't help but laugh at his antics. He grasped Iggy's arm and steered him to their destination. "Um, a tree?"

"Yeah. All we gotta do is climb the trunk and grab the icicles from the branch below us. It'll be a piece of cake!" Iggy raised his eyebrows in apprehension.

"You sure about this?"

"Yup!" The ten-year-old popped the P, making the fourteen-year-old roll his eyes.

"Come on then, let's go."

!~_

"Max! Fang! Dr. M! Total! Celeste! Anyone!" Gazzy ran into the house, frantically searching for someone to help him. But at the realization that no one was there, he slowed to a stand still and scratched his head in confusion. "Um, hello? Is anyone here?"

"What do you want Gazzy?" Max appeared from her room, looking oddly disheveled. Fang emerged behind her in the same state, and Gazzy stifled a laugh. Iggy _so_ owed him five dollars.

"Weellllllllll," He drew it out, knowing that they wouldn't be happy. Finally he decided to get it over with. Unfortunately for Max and Fang, this resulted in Gazzy blending all of his words together and sounding a lot like their friend Nudge. "IggyandIwereboredsowedecided toeatsomeiciclesfromthetreei ntheparkandthenhegotthestupi dideatohandoverthebranchandt rytolicktheiciclesandItriedt ostophim! Buthedidn'tstopandsonowIggy'sstuckupside-downinatreeintheparkwithhist ongueattachedtoanicicle!"

It took them a moment to decipher what he said, but when they did, Max was on the floor laughing and Fang was smirking next to her. Gazzy hung his head in shame and led them to the park

Once there, the couple scrambled up the tree trunk and Max held Iggy while Fang broke the icicle. The three then escorted him to the veterinary hospital- where his and Max's mom worked. At the sight of him, Dr. M laughed then got down to business.

"Really, James?" She shook her head, but they could tell she wasn't really mad.

!~_

"Well, besides the raw patch on his tongue and his bruised ego, Iggy should be just fine." The present members of the Flock cheered. They were all standing around Iggy, who was seated on an examining table in the hospital. "But- he won't be able to eat anything tomorrow."

Iggy groaned while his sister and her boyfriend exchanged grins. Gazzy laughed gleefully

"Merry Christmas Igs!"

**…R&R? :3**

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	15. Sorry Y'all

**Hi guys.**

**I know. I'm a horrible author for abandoning you guys. Go ahead and hate me:P I feel bad, but track and school (especially since my grades are sort of slipping) come first, and I didn't have time to update daily. Sorry!:/**

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